With the best noise-cancelling earbuds you can block out the sound of the world around you. They're discreet to wear while having unbelievably powerful active noise cancelation technology that makes distracting external sounds fade into the background.

Read on to discover which of these top-performing noise-canceling earbuds have the right credentials for your needs.

1.Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Best ANC performance from a pair of wireless earbuds

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have gone straight to the top of our buying guide for their outstanding noise canceling capabilities. They replace the still available Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 that launched in September 2022, and perform even better. These are a remarkable follow-up that brings the same top-tier noise-canceling performance while introducing immersive audio. With better stabilizing fin alignment, they deliver improved fit and stability and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds could be ones you wear all day long.

The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds include aptX Adaptive support, making them compatible with high-performance audio codecs increasingly supported by the best Android phones. If you're after the best-in-class ANC from a pair of wireless earbuds, these are the best I've tried.

2.Sony WF-1000XM5

Best Bose ANC alternative with top-tier features

Sony's XM-series earbuds go from strength to strength with each new generation. As the latest flagship, the WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds are smaller and lighter, yet they're equipped with some of the strongest features and performance I've ever seen from a pair of wireless earbuds. In my review, I found they had some of the most dynamic and engaging sound I've heard, and their noise-canceling performance easily matched that of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or Apple AirPods Pro 2.

Battery life hasn't been stepped up over the outgoing XM4 predecessor. But at 8 hours with ANC enabled, these top-tier Sony wireless earbuds still outperform close rivals and have some of the highest battery life of any set of more recently launched earbuds. There's LDAC support for higher-quality music streams form compatible devices, adaptive listening mode, Google and Alexa digital assistant support, and full EQ customization.

Call quality is greatly improved, thanks to a new noise reduction engine with AI that's able to make voices clear even in noisy surroundings. Wind noise was kept to a minimum too, thanks to the mesh on the feed forward microphone helping to reduce its influence during calls. Ultimately, I found these to be Sony's best-ever and one of the most versatile wireless earbuds you can buy right now.

3.Apple AirPods Pro 2

Strong ANC performance and adaptive audio

Apple's AirPods Pro 2 bring significant upgrades to the popular AirPods Pro original. Along with the USB-C version and a new suite of adaptive audio features, the AirPods Pro 2 are Apple's best-ever ANC earbuds. I regularly use them on my routine work commutes and at the gym.

Externally, they look pretty similar to the first generation but battery life has been increased to offer 6 hours on a single charge from the earbuds and a further 30 hours from the wireless charging case. The Lightning version of the Pro 2 earbuds are IPX4-rated, while the USB-C version has been upgraded to IP54 for both the earbuds and the wireless charging case.

Designed for iPhone owners looking for a more tailored listening experience, these are the pinnacle of Apple technology and the USB-C version may sound even better. On the audio front, Apple has included a new H2 chip with custom amp and driver that delivers better lower and higher frequencies, and you can use the iPhone's TrueDepth camera to create a personalized spatial audio sound to listen to some of the best Dolby Atmos sound in any pair of earbuds. Noise cancelation is double what the original AirPods Pro offered, and gets remarkably close to the pool of silence conjured up by the #1 Bose QC Ultra Earbuds.